


it would always end this way

by glitter_ghostie



Series: finn week 2017 [3]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Finn Skywalker, Finn-centric, Force-Sensitive Finn, Gen, Jedi Finn, Lightsaber Battles, descriptions of injuries, spoiler alert: kylie renner DIES, swfinnweek, swfinnweek 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 13:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitter_ghostie/pseuds/glitter_ghostie
Summary: The war between the First Order and the Resistance is reaching it's climax, and it's time for Finn to pay a certain mask-clad villain a visit.





	it would always end this way

**Author's Note:**

> happy finn week folks :)

It was always destined to end this way, Finn thinks. On another crumbling planet, it’s very core shaking apart deep under their feet. It doesn’t snow here, though, but Finn can still remember the cold sting of Starkiller’s air, the way the snow clung to his hair and pricked his skin, and the blinding pain along his spine.

Kylo Ren stands less than twenty meters away – he’s bleeding onto the durasteel floor, his breath whistling through his teeth, and neither he nor Finn moves, sizing each other up. Finn no longer feels like Ren’s prey, and he doesn’t flinch away from him when his lightsabre ignites, crackling red and unstable.

Finn knows Ren is shocked to see him – the last time they met, Kylo had sliced Finn’s spine nearly in half, and Finn revels in his surprise when his own lightsabre ignites, pooling the dark floor in green light.

“You’re strong with the Force,” Ren says, his voice echoing in the empty, cavernous room. Despite all the open space, it feels suffocating, squeezing Finn’s chest as if it was the room collapsing, not the planet. “Stronger than the girl, and well trained – so much power, so much potential.”

Finn’s grip tightens on the hilt on his saber – Ren already knew this, he’d _always_ known this, ever since he’d first met Finn as a young child, back when he was FN-2187. 

After a few months in the Resistance, Finn began waking late at night, shaking and panting and dripping with sweat. They weren’t nightmares, even if some of them were terrifying, they were _memories_ – long supressed or buried under years of reconditionings and hiding things from the cold, sweeping fingers of the Force, sweeping over the troops to check for “treacherous thoughts”.

First, he began to remember littler things: the times his meal was snatched away because he didn’t finish fast enough, taunting remarks made by other cadets, hours spent mindlessly drilling weapon maintenance and fitness circuits, and the times Phasma would take him aside in an extra “training session”, where she modelled him this way and that into the perfect little trooper. 

\--

They came for FN-2187 during recreation time – a short period between dinner and lights out – two officers, with their straight backs and strange, dark masks, asking for him to come with them. FN-2187 had hesitated only for a second, and then silently filed out after the pair, shaking a little under his armour.

Had he done something wrong? Surely not – he’d aced all his classes, he was always on time and well behaved, what could they possibly want from him?

It was after they’d walked down exactly two corridors that the visor in his helmet had blacked out. Instantly, FN-2187 had begun to panic, his skinny arms flailing for a moment before both were grabbed by strong, rough hands, which did very little to sooth his nerves. FN-2187 gulped several big, gasping breaths, trying to get his feet to cooperate as the two officers began walking again, quicker than his seven-year-old feet could manage.

They walked for quite some time, turning down various long, silent corridors, until suddenly FN-2187 jolted to a stop. He prayed the officers couldn’t hear his terrified, loud breathing, waiting for – for – _something._

After a long, painful moment, he heard a door slide open, and then the officers were marching again, half dragging FN-2187 behind them. The doors hissed back shut behind them, and he shuddered when they closed with a definite _thud._

FN-2187 was stopped again, and then he could see again, squinting even in the semi-dark room. Off to one side, he could see several tall, black-clad figures, like the officers who had dragged him here, and directly in front of him was the largest throne FN-2187 had ever seen.

Upon the chair, though, was far more awing and terrifying: an impossibly tall, ghostly pale being with a head that looked as if it was decomposing as it stared down at him with round, glassy eyes.

“So,” the being’s voice was low; rattled and rumbled in its chest and filled every available space in the dark, gaping cavern. “This is him?”

“Yes, supreme leader,” the officer on FN-2187’s left said, and he could barely meet the being’s eyes, feeling so incredibly small and vulnerable. He was used to being with his squadron, having someone on his side and covering his back, but now he was completely on his own as the other officers joined the group of unmoving figures in black.

“What is your name?”

“FN-2187.” Even though he spoke quietly, his voice bounced off of the dark walls, murmuring his name back at him. He forced his back to straighten, looking straight ahead.

“Yes,” the being said again, and then Finn felt it: a cold, unwanted presence prickling over his scalp. He felt himself begin to sweat, but then the sensation was gone, and the being – supreme leader, the officer had called him – sat back in his throne, eyes fixed on FN-2187. 

“He has it, and he’s very powerful – possibly more powerful than any of the Knights of Ren – but he’s not ready, he must learn order, first.”

The being said nothing else, the only change being a slight movement of his hand, and then FN-2187’s legs felt like lead, and he crumpled, slipping into a dark nothing.

\--

That memory had been the worst, and the most shocking. Finn hadn’t been able to sleep for the rest of the night, shaking and sobbing into his hands – he felt like he could still feel the cold needle-like sensation over his scalp, just beginning to search before retracting, the fear he had felt as he was dragged, blind, down the corridors by the faceless officers, convinced he was going to be punished or worse.

He’d been so shaken by the memory that the next morning he went to see the General, and the memory quickly confirmed what she had been wondering all along: he was Force sensitive, and not only that, but he was one of the strongest Force-users she’d encountered in a long time.

And now – months of training and aching and fighting later – he stands before Ren, he looks at the helmet and remembers that awful prickling sensation, and says “take off the mask, Ren, I took off mine a long time ago.”

Kylo doesn’t move for a long moment, and then his hand reaches up, clicking the clasp undone and pulling the helmet off. Finn stares into the dark, angry eyes, and remembers the forest on Starkiller, when those eyes had been only inches from his as Ren drove the lightsaber into his shoulder.

“We’re not that different, you and I,” Kylo suddenly says, and Finn fights the urge to blink in surprise.

“I’m nothing like you.”

“We’re both strong with the Force,” Kylo takes a step towards him, and Finn holds his saber out, getting into a defensive stance. “Snoke sees potential in you, like he saw in me – you could join us again, turn the tide and help restore balance – “

“I never _joined_ you,” Finn spits, “you stole me from my family when I was a baby. We have _nothing_ in common, you murdered your own father, as well as countless innocent civilians and anyone who disagreed with you. You’re a monster.”

Kylo lunges at him, and their blades connect with a crash, Finn pushing back against him until Ren stumbles back. He glares at Finn, clearly feeling his injuries already start to affect him, and Finn goes into the offensive, launching at Ren and swinging at his ribs. His blow is defected, and their blades lock again.

Neither man breaks eye contact, and Finn can see the boiling rage there, hear Kylo’s laboured breathing. Once again, Finn pushes him off, and Ren takes a few stumbling steps backwards as Finn begins to follow after him.

“My uncle taught you well,” Kylo was only holding his lightsaber with one hand, the other one gripping his injured leg. “But he was always weak, he could never teach you the power of the dark side.”

“My father isn’t weak, and he’s taught me better than your supreme leader ever could.”

Kylo’s shock catches him off guard, and Finn takes the chance to lunge again, sending Kylo flying several feet, crashing to the ground.

\--

“I don’t know what to say,” Finn had murmured, staring at the man stood just in front of him. Luke Skywalker – Luke _kriffing_ Skywalker – was his – his – father? He couldn’t believe it, at first, and Luke had understood, letting Finn take his time to process it. He looked at Finn with such kind eyes, and eventually Finn whispered “are you sure?”

“As anything,” Luke had said, and Finn hadn’t shied away when Luke opened his arms up to him. There was a lot to be said, a lot to clear up and mend, but right now Finn let himself melt into his father’s embrace with a wet, shuddering breath.

It felt like a tidal wave that had been building up and up finally broke and crashed as Finn buried his face into Luke’s neck, sniffling and squeezing his father tight. Luke said nothing, his human hand at the nape of Finn’s neck, and the prosthetic one rubbing up and down his back. Luke understood what it was like, and could only hope he would be a better father to his son.

“I understand this is a lot to take in,” Luke murmured, and Finn let out a chuckle.

“You think?”

Luke smiled, patting his son’s shoulder. “There’s a lot we have to catch up on, but I’m glad it’s late rather than never.”

Finn nodded, still clinging to his father, and he heard Luke sniff a little, too. The sea surrounding them was calm, then, and the crashing wave within Finn had calmed, too, leaving just Luke and Finn. Father and son.

\--

“That’s impossible,” Kylo shouts. He tries to get up, but his injured leg gets the better of him, and he crumples back on the floor; he starts pulling himself along the durasteel as Finn stalks closer. 

“You know it’s true.”

Kylo shook his head, but Finn could see it in his eyes that he knew. He struggles to his feet, his teeth baring against the pain, and takes a wild blow at Finn, which he easily deflects. Ren stumbles but keeps his balance, his injured leg dragging along the floor.

“You don’t realise what we’re trying to do,” Ren says, “the Resistance has brainwashed you, they want chaos and disorder.”

“That’s freedom, Ren,” Finn retorts, drawing ever closer to the other man. “And _you’re_ the one who’s been brainwashed. Snoke is using you, and he’ll get rid of you as soon as you’ve used up your purpose.”

“Then I’ll die for the First Order,” spit flies from Ren’s mouth, and Finn swings at him again – this time, he makes contact, his blad glancing off of Kylo’s arm. 

Kylo screams, swinging at Finn again and again, and Finn could sense the end drawing nearer; Kylo’s wearing himself out, injured and exhausted, he can’t fight for much longer, and he can’t even resist when Finn kicks him in the chest, sending him to the floor again.

Finn stands over Ren, who takes a final blow at him – Finn deflects again, and sends Kylo’s lightsaber skittering along the floor. Ren turns to him, and for a split second Finn sees fear, but it’s quickly hidden behind the same old rage.

“You won’t kill me – I know about you, FN-2187, you’re the trooper who _couldn’t kill_ ,” he sneers the last part, cruel and furious.

Finn holds his saber to Ren’s face, inches from his nose, and finally starts to feel the same anger in his stomach. He grips it, controls it, and breathes steady.

“I won’t kill innocents, but you’ve given me no reason to spare you. You killed Han, you tortured my friends, you tried to kill me, you’ve destroyed planets and murdered billions of beings mercilessly – ” he draws the blade away from Ren’s face, lofting it above his head. “ – you stole me from my family, took everything from me and let your leader try and use me as his pawn, but I’m no one’s pawn, and I’m not FN-2187.”

He meets Ren’s eyes, and doesn’t flinch. “My name is Finn, and I’m free.”

It’s over quickly – he doesn’t bother drawing it out, even if Kylo doesn’t deserve a quick death. He steps away, and looks down at the body on the floor, crumpled in a strange position, pale skin against shiny, black durasteel.

He turns away, not wanting to look any longer, and begins to walk out of the colossal room, which is still crumbling slowly apart. Somewhere, Rey and his father are fighting Snoke, and Finn will soon join them if he’s not already dead. He remembers standing in that hall, at seven years old, and what Snoke had said about him:

_“He’s very powerful – possibly more powerful than any of the Knights of Ren – but he’s not ready.”_

Finn places his saber back in its holster, but keeps his hand there. He walks out of the hall, heading back to the final battle, and knows that he’s ready.


End file.
